Militant violence leaves 15 dead in Pakistan (Lead)

Islamabad, Dec 21 (DPA) At least 15 people were killed in a rocket attack, executions carried out by suspected Taliban militants, and bombardment by warplanes in northwest Pakistan, officials and media reports said Sunday.Islamist insurgents fired four rockets on various locations in Bannu district of North West Frontier Province (NWFP) late Saturday.

“Two of these were aimed at city police station but they missed the target and hit a construction company office. Two of its employees were killed,” said a local police officer Zaheer Ahmad.

The other two landed close to a private hospital and in a football ground, causing no damage.

Bannu borders the troubled North Waziristan tribal district, a sanctuary of pro-Taliban militants and Al Qaeda fighters, who launch cross border attacks on NATO-led international forces as well as target Pakistani police and military targets.

The authorities in North Waziristan Sunday discovered the bodies of two men shot dead by militants on suspicion of spying for US forces, a local security official said.

“Anyone spying for the Americans will meet the same fate,” read a note left with the dumped bodies.

Pakistani jet fighters pounded various hideouts of rebels in another Bajaur tribal district, leaving four Taliban and a civilian dead.

In the restive Swat district of NWFP, a former local councillor Faridoon and his son Karmullah were killed by unknown gunmen.

A local police official who spoke on condition of anonymity said the bodies of two men were dumped near their residence in Mingora, the main town in the scenic valley which was a popular tourist destination until last year when pro-Taliban cleric Maulana Fazlullah launched an armed rebellion against the security forces.

His followers have carried out dozens of executions of local politicians and those opposing their narrowly-defined form of Islam.

Four people from the same family, including a woman, died when a stray mortar shell hit a house in Swat, Geo TV reported.